The story of Van Cleef & Arpels started with love – with the marriage of its founders Alfred Van Cleef and Estelle Arpels – and since then, love has been one of its key sources of inspiration in creating narrative jewellery and time pieces that never fail to capture the hearts of its wearers. This time at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2025, the house presents Poetry of Time, Under the Parisian Sky, unveiling a comprehensive set of stunning works of art that tell the time in a distinctly Van Cleef & Arpels way.
Paying tribute to Paris as the setting of its founding, the new novelties include additions to the Poetic Complications collection, two new extraordinary time telling objects as well as new jewellery watches that show off the brand’s expertise and tradition in creating beautiful timepieces.
First are the new Poetic Complications pieces, of which five watches were created to continue the flourishing love story of the woman and man that started with the first Pont des Amoureux watch released in 2010. In 2025, four new Pont des Amoureux pieces joins the collection: Aube, Matinée, Soirée, and Clair de Lune, each capturing that iconic Parisian bridge at different times of the day from dawn to night.
As is tradition, the two characters will come together at noon and midnight to share a kiss, bringing a romantic expression to the passage of time. The Pont des Amoureux watches are accompanied by fully jewelled bracelets, set entirely with diamonds and a gradation of pink or blue sapphires.
In addition, the Poetic Complications collections gets a new collection in the Lady Arpels Bal des Amoureux Automate (which we covered in our ladies’ watch round-up here), debuting a whole new landscape for our couple-in-love set in the streets of Paris’ 19th century guinguette, or open-air dance café. An all new setting and automation movement was created for this chapter by the maison’s artisans, while showcasing the Van Cleef & Arpels signature enamelling techniques.
In the Extraordinary Objects collection, the maison presents two new pieces: the Naissance de l’Amour automaton and the Planétarium automaton – both unique pieces that masterfully combines complex mechanical movements, high jewellery, and métiers d’art. Naissance de l’Amour contains Cupid in a basket of feathers, rising gracefully to stretch his wings.
The Planétarium automaton also joins the maison’s growing collection dedicated to recreating the planetariums of the 18th century, this time featuring exceptional materials from base to top and painstakingly carved planets and mechanisms that keep the celestials objects in sync with the movement of its namesake planets.
Last but not least are two additions to the high jewellery collection, with pieces that tell time in interesting ways while maintaining its exquisite jewelled accessory feature. The first: the new Cadenas watch, a silhouette that’s been a staple for Van Cleef & Arpels since 1935. The new model is precious, combining a yellow gold bracelet with a case of snow-set diamonds and princess-cut sapphires, complementing the diamond-covered white gold dial. The iconic padlock silhouette is given new life in this release, one that doesn’t shy from the glimmer.
The final piece is the Ruban Mystérieux watch, a new design inspired by the world of haute couture. The shape is inspired by delicate ribbons, wound gracefully around the wrists – a form that is achieved despite the hardness of the snow-set diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds that make up the entirety of the bracelet. The underlying metal structure is almost imperceptible with the use of the Mystery Set technique, which allows the 3.72 carat oval-cut DIF diamond that sits atop the dial to remain the centre piece.
An homage to Paris, from its romantic settings to its history, Van Cleef & Arpels Poetry of Time shows off the city of love in its every piece, and with it the maison’s legacy and heritage that is inextricably tied to the place it was born in.
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